On 05 February 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) welcomed participants to the 43rd Session of the TCRO, at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, bringing together delegates from across the globe. This three-day event began with a special commemoration of 30 years of implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Rules of Origin (RoO), marking the establishment of both the WTO Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO) and the WCO Technical Committee on RoO (TCRO). In his opening remarks, the WCO Deputy Secretary General (DSG), welcomed the delegates to the WCO, noting that interest in the topic of RoO remains as strong as ever, as demonstrated by the presence of over 120 delegates attending the 43rd TCRO Session.
The DFG highlighted the remarkable progress achieved over the 30 years in advancing both preferential and non-preferential RoO. Additionally, he noted that the WCO had developed many instruments and tools to support its members in navigating the technical aspects of origin while also strengthening their capacity to implement Rules of Origin effectively and facilitating seamless global trade.
He further commended the collaborative efforts and strong partnerships with key stakeholders, including the WTO, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Trade Centre (ITC) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). He underscored the TCRO’s role as a vital forum for knowledge-sharing, best practices and meaningful exchanges that benefit all stakeholders and wished the participants fruitful deliberations.
The Director of the WTO Market Access Division, delivered her keynote address, reminding delegates of the immense milestones achieved by the CRO and TCRO over the past three decades. Referring to the preamble to the WTO Agreement on RoO, she noted that RoO should be clear and predictable and consistently applied to facilitate the smooth flow of International Trade while avoiding unnecessary obstacles to trade.
Looking ahead to the future work of both the CRO and the TCRO, the Market Access Division Director emphasised the need to address an increasingly demanding agenda through collaboration, information-sharing, and joint efforts to translate the vision of the Agreement into concrete outcomes. She further emphasized that the ongoing evolution of the global trading system, driven by technological advancements and geopolitical shifts, required leveraging digital technologies, building the capacity and strengthening collaboration between Customs and trade officials.
A panel consisting of experts from Customs, international organizations, the private sector, and the former and current TCRO Chairpersons reflected on the implementation of the Agreement on RoO and the subsequent work carried out in the area of origin. The panel also highlighted and celebrated the achievements of the TCRO over the years, spotlighted the current work of the TCRO, and provided a vision for the objectives and challenges the TCRO will need to navigate in its future work.